Property tax hike not part of Lehigh County plan

Proposed budget for 2007 adds some jobs, eliminates others.

September 01, 2006|By Romy Varghese Of The Morning Call

Lehigh County's proposed $354.3 million budget for 2007 includes no property tax increase and calls for items such as reassigning county jobs and economic development funds and adding 18 new positions.

Residents will continue to pay 10.25 mills, in a plan that must be approved by county commissioners.

County Executive Don Cunningham, in an official presentation Thursday, recapped several highlights in the budget, which would spend 2.8 percent more than the 2006 budget.

Twenty-two positions would eliminated, mostly from the Cedarbrook nursing homes. But only five were actually filled. Those employees, all hairdressers at the nursing homes, may find jobs elsewhere in the county or at the private beautician service that would be hired as their replacement, Cunningham said.

His administration plans to add 18 new jobs. Five would be at a new central booking facility, which is expected to start operating in mid-January. Police departments countywide would be able to book criminals there, which would save time and money, officials said. The facility's operating costs will be covered by grants and court fees paid by offenders.

The district attorney's office and domestic relations office each would see four new positions. One position would be added to the offices of the public defender, coroner, IT systems, Children and Youth, and mental retardation.

Four positions would remain unfilled in the budget, leaving employment numbers flat.

County employees would see a 4 percent increase in their wages, Cunningham said.

Economic development dollars, primarily from hotel taxes, have been diverted to set up two specific funds. One, called Main Street Initiatives, would have $58,650 to offer municipalities who want to improve their neighborhoods and downtowns. The other, called Regional Partnerships, would have $48,000 to encourage cooperation among municipal governments.

Cunningham said he would like to create a "Council of Governments in Lehigh County" that would regularly meet to promote regionalization.

Cunningham said this budget focuses on the county's "core responsibilities." As he talked about his $773,000 expenditure on county bridges, he referred to the judiciary's criticism of his $58.1 million plan for the courthouse. The judiciary has favored the original $80.6 million addition project.

"In the end," Cunningham said of maintaining bridges, "this is much more critical than the height of a ceiling or a bathroom in a courthouse."

Public meetings on the budget are scheduled for Sept. 14, Sept. 19-20, Sept. 26 and Oct. 3. Commissioners would vote on the budget Oct. 25.